Montezuma softball Coach Jeremy Van Zee said this summer’s young edition of the Bravettes has “exceeded expectations,” as it prepared for this coming week’s post-season play.
The Bravettes are 8-8 heading into a Friday, July 10 regular season finale at Hillcrest Academy. They are scheduled to visit English Valleys
in the regional opener on Monday, July 13, at 7 p.m.
“I feel pretty good about where the girls are at,” Van Zee told KGRN’s Chris Varney last week. “We’re learning in every game and getting a little better.”
Two things stand out in Van Zee’s mind: Playing with increased confidence, and better hitting throughout the lineup.
“Coaches don’t like to talk about ‘moral victories,” Van Zee said. “But our game against Lynnville-Sully absolutely was a moral win for us . . .a real confidence-builder,” said the coach.
The Hawks entered that one with just one loss and the number four state ranking in Class 1A. Lynnville-Sully won, 4-2, but the Bravettes played their first errorless game of the season.
“Kallie Robison (freshman pitcher), threw less than 75 pitches against both Lynnville-Sully and Colo-Nelsco,” Van Zee said.
“She (Robison) gets some movement on her pitches,” said the coach. “She has frustrated some pretty good teams.”
Van Zee said Robison has put in a lot of work, and added it helps that she has an experienced senior catcher in Carissa Van Zee behind the plate. “They work together,” he said.
The team’s hitting has improved, over last year, and since earlier in this season, the coach said.
“We’re better in spots one through nine in the lineup,” Van Zee said.
Seven Bravettes have between nine and 14 hits each.
“The younger kids in our order are hitting,” said the coach. “The key with eighth graders is getting them to believe there will be another at bat, another game,” said the coach.
“Our focus now is on our defensive effort,” Van Zee said.
“We have to learn from everything that happens.”
Bravettes Stats Leaders
(though 16 games)
Runs – Jadyn Sharer 11, Kalynn Wanders 11, Carissa Van Zee 11, Kassidy Mathes 10.
Hits – Sharer 14. Wanders 13, Van Zee 13, Chloe Latcham 12, Izzy Roorda 10, Katie Reynolds 10, Kailey Shaffer 9.
Doubles – Latcham 3, Roorda 3, Kailey Shaffer 2.
Triples – none.
Home runs – none.
Runs batted in – Latcham 11, Reynolds 8, Sharer 7.
Batting average – Sharer .292, Wanders .255, Van Zee .250, Roorda .238, Latcham .226.
Stolen bases – Sharer 7, Reynolds 5, Mathes 5.
Fielding (min. 20 chances) – Van Zee .982, Sharer .970, Wanders .959, Reynolds .905, Latcham .900.
Pitching
Kallie Robison – 88.2 innings pitched, 4.18 earned run average, 76 strikeouts.
Abby Pope – 14.0 innings pitched, 3.50 earned run average, 13 strikeouts.
